The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear next week a plea challenging the new Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) policy that makes the study of three languages — including at least two native Indian languages — compulsory for Class 9 students from July 1.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi.
Calling it an “urgent PIL”, Rohatgi told the court that the petitioners — students, teachers and parents — were challenging the CBSE’s revised language policy for Classes 9 and 10.
“This is an urgent PIL. The petitioners are students, teachers and parents. They are challenging the new policy of the CBSE by which in the 9th standard, two more languages have been made compulsory,” Rohatgi submitted.
Seeking an early hearing, he argued that the move “will create chaos” if implemented immediately. The Chief Justice responded that the matter would be listed next week during the court’s miscellaneous hearing days.
According to a recent circular issued by Central Board of Secondary Education, the study of three languages — referred to as R1, R2 and R3 — will become mandatory for Class 9 students from July 1, 2026. The board has specified that at least two of these languages must be native Indian languages.
The circular also clarified that the third language would not be part of the Class 10 board examination and its assessment would remain entirely internal and school-based.
The move marks a shift from the phased implementation plan announced in April, under which the three-language formula was to be introduced gradually beginning with Class 6 students this academic year. Under that earlier framework, the first batch required to study the third language in Class 10 would have appeared for board exams only in 2030-31.
However, the latest CBSE notification issued last week reversed the earlier approach and aligned the scheme of studies for Classes 9 and 10 with the NCERT syllabus.
“With effect from 1st July 2026, for Class IX, the study of three languages (R1, R2, R3) shall be compulsory, with at least two languages being native Indian languages,” the notification stated.
It further said that students opting for a foreign language may study it either as the third language — provided the other two are native Indian languages — or as an additional fourth language.
